Moving Forward
by Fez98
Summary: On their way to a trip to Bodhum, Hope and his mother are involved in a terrible accident! Lightning, who saves Hope and his mother must decide to stay after the two or to continue on with her life. Alt.Timeline,OC,Character Death
1. A Trip To Bodhum

A/N: Okay, I am going to be trying a new writing style for this story, the first chapter may not be much, but just enough to get the story rolling. Also for TLBBTT, Expect a new chapter up later this week after almost 4 years of hiatus!

Chapter 1: Tripe to Bodhum

It was a nice day and all was well in the town of Palomporum. Inside the apartment of the Estheim residence was noting but a disarray of chaos. Hope, along with his mother Nora, were going to go on a little vacation while Hope's father, Bartholomew was going to Eden on business. Packing clothes for the trip,

"Hey mom, where are we going anyways?" Hope asked

"To Bodhum, for the fireworks festival" Nora awnsered as she continued to pack up her suitcase. Hope followed suit and continued to pack his own suitcase.

"Hope, Nora... Listen to me." Bartholomew said, "I looked up recent weather reports around the area and they don't look too good, so be careful!"

"Yes." Nora answered as she kissed her husband.

Hope was starting to feel a little concered. "Mom" he asked, "Will everything be okay?"

"Yes Hope, they will." Nora replied, "Now, finish up Hope, we will be leaving soon"

"Come to think of it, I got to leave too." Bartholomew said, "My ride to Eden will be here soon."

"Bye dad, see you when we get back!" Hope said as he gave his dad a hug before he left.

After His father left, Hope was given the job to load his and his mother's luggage into the car as they did some final preparations for their trip. As he was loading the luggage into the car, he noticed that something did not feel right in the air, but he shrugged it off and thought to himself it was just him.

"Hope, it's time to go!" Nora said as she began to start the car.

"Oh, okay mom" Hope replied as he got into the car.

The car finally pulled out of the parking lot of the apartment complex and started to cruse down the street. The weather still seemed nice, but Hope could not get the fact that something was going to go wrong as the car got on to the expressway to Bodhum. Hope didn't think about it too much again as he fell asleep for most of the car ride.

A couple of hours later, Nora said "Hope. Wake up! We are going to get lunch!"

"Where are we...." Hope wondered as he opened his eyes

"Were just outside of Bodhum." Nora replied as Hope got out of the car and walked into the restaurant.

The restaurant had a nice, warm atmosphere, As the waitress escorted Hope and his mother to their seats, Hope started to enjoy the trip.

After looking at the menu for a few minutes, the waitress asked "Are you ready to order?"

"I'll have a chicken sandwich with a side of fries." Nora said

"I'll have a cheeseburger and fries." Hope Said

"Would would you like to drink?" The waitress asked

"Cola" Nora said

"White Milk" Hope said as the waitress left.

A few minutes later, after taking a look around the restaurant, Nora said "Hope, It seems that you have something on your mind..."

"It's what dad said before we left." Hope said, "I am a little concerned about this trip and the weather."

"Don't worry so much about it Hope. Its a nice day out!" Nora reassured Hope as their food was finally being delivered.

"Yay!" Hope exclaimed as he began to eat his burger.

"It seems that all you need is food to calm you down, dosen't it." Nora said as she began to eat her sandwich.

After they finished eating their meal and paid the bill, they got back into the car and all of a sudden, the wind started to pick up and the nice, sunny weather that foreshadowed the beginning of their trip was starting to be obscured by storm clouds.

"Thats odd..." Nora said, "I thought it wasn't supposed to rain." as she started the engine and continued down the road.

The weather continued to get bad. The storm clouds now completely eclipsed the sky and rain was starting to fall down, fast. Hope did not feel like sleeping and started to stare out the window to see the scenery. "Mom, how much further?" Hope asked

"Not too far. Maybe another hour or so." Nora answered as she noticed that something was not right. The wind started to pick up really badly and there was another vehicle that was oncoming to them! Nora tried to blare her horn at the oncoming motorist, but to no avail. She could not pull over to the side because the other driver was hugging the shoulder.

"Hope, Brace for impac-" Nora tried to say but it was too late! The car collided with the other car head on, and then, Hope's world went black.


	2. Lending A Helping Hand

A/N: I decided to release chapter 2 at the same time so you can get an idea of what is going on. Basically, Chapter 1 Talks about Hope and is demeanor. Beware though, there is a small spoiler for those of us who didn't complete chapter 11! with that said, Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Lending a Helping Hand

Inside the residence of Farron, It seemed like an ordinary day, but however, it was raining outside. Lightning was just finishing up a report on her latest work while her sister Serah was busy doing her homework.

"Sis, can you give me a hand?" Serah asked

Lightning smiled, and replied "Yes Serah, sit down and show me what you are having trouble with."

"Its math, I really can't understand it." Serah said in dismay

"Don't worry about it too much." Lightning replied, "Now show me what you can't figure out."

After Lightning helped out Serah with her homework, Lightning decided to stock up on groceries that they needed for the week. "Serah, I am going to the store, do you need anything?" she asked

"Not really." She answered as Lightning went out the door and down the street,

As Lightning returned with all of the groceries that the two needed for the week, she noticed that someone was trying to call her.

"Hmm." She said as she answered the phone

"Farron, glad I was able to contact you." The other person on the phone said, "We have a situation here."

"What is it chief?" she asked

"There has been a head on collision on Relian road. We need additional units to direct traffic and to help the accident victims."

"Okay." Lightning said as she hung up the phone, "Serah. Stay here. I have to go on a call."

"Claire.... Please" Serah Said

"Don't Call me that!" Lightning said, annoyed as she changed from her civvie clothes to her Guardian Corps. Uniform. "Don't get into trouble."

"Alright, Alright!" Serah said as Lightning went out the door and into her car,

Once she arrived at the scene, the commanding officer said, "Farron, I need you to help with the accident victims."

"Okay sir." She replied as she obtained the tools that she needed to clear the wreckage.

The two cars that were involved were all a twisted heap! Lightning thought to herself "Those cars must have been going over 90 kilometers an hour..." as she began to carefully inspect the conditions of the people involed. She noticed that one of the drivers was still conscious, but the two occupaints in the other car were not!

"I need two stretchers over here!" Lightning called out as she carefully worked the metal out to carefully extract the victims.

"How is the condition of the other driver?" A young recruit asked

"He is okay. I dont know the extent of his injuries but he is conscious." Lightning replied as she carefully extracted the young passenger onto the stretcher, because she didn't know the extent of his injuries.

"He is just a young boy..." Lightning thought to herself, "this makes me sick when I see accident scenes with people this young."

She then began to work on extracting the boy's mother from the wreckage. After a few minuites of carefully moving her, Lightning placed the woman onto the second stretcher.

"this is bad..." She thought as she took a few minutes to catch her breath.

"Farron, you did well." the commanding officer remarked, "Now its up to the medical team to ensure that they get to the hospital."

"Right. Do you mind if I go as an escort?" Lightning asked

"Go ahead. I don't see any harm into it. It will help out the emergency room personnel so that they get an idea of the severity of the injuries." The commanding officer said

"Thank you." Lightning replied as she boarded the medivac helicopter,

after the helicopter was airborne, Lightning wondered how the two people she saved were. She asked, "How are they?"

"It doesn't look too good." one of the medics said "we can not seem to get any response from the woman, but there is some good news."

"hm?" lightning muttered as she dozed off, not aware what was going on.

"The boy seems to be alright. We checked him over and there seems to be no signs of any injuries, and on top of that, he is regaining consciousness."

Lightning looked at the boy carefully.

"Wh. Where.... Am I?" He asked weakly, "m, mom?"

Lightning, trying her hardest to act professional said, "I am not your mother, and you are in a helicopter inbound to a hospital. You were involved in a car crash."

"Wheres mom?" the boy asked, "and who are you?"

"My name is Lightning. I am a member of the Guardian Corps. Security regiment of the town of Bodhum." Lightning introduced herself

"The Names Hope, Hope Estheim. My Mother's Name is Nora." Hope said

"Hope... I need to show you something." Lightning said, "look across from you."

Hope glanced at the other side of the helicopter and noticed his mother! "Mom! Mom! Wake up!" as Hope broke down into sobs

"Don't worry! I am sure that she will be fine. Now try to get some rest." Lightning said, "You will be back with your mother before you know it." as the helicopter touched down on the roof of the hospital.

A/N: Why I wrote the first two chapters the way I did was to give the story a sort of split-perspective. Showing you what each character did before they got involved. Stay tuned for chapter 3! Please, Rate and Review, because reviews do have a bearing on the fanfictions I write and they dictate weather I continue writing that story or I delete it!


	3. The Fate

A/N: Before I start this chapter, this might be the most grim thing that I have ever written. So, if you feel offended by the content that is about to unravel in this chapter, then do not read it!

The Fate

Lightning unboarded the helicopter and allowed the medical teams to wheel out Hope and Nora. She was thinking to herself, "This was no ordinary car crash" as she followed the medical teams to the elevator down to the emergency room, where they were awaiting their arrival.

"Whats the situation?" said the head doctor of the emergency room crew

"These are two victims of the car crash that occurred about fifteen minutes ago." the head medic said, "The boy seems to be alright, from as far as we know, but for the woman, we really don't know the extent of her injuries."

"Ma'am. Can you give us some information on this incident?" said one of the emergency room doctors to Lightning.

"Yes. It seems that thee was a head-on collision with both cars traveling in an excess of 90 kilometers per hour, it seems that both occupants in the vehicle were wearing their seatbelts but still, in this kind of a collision, you don't know what to expect." Lightning said

"Thanks" said the doctor as they wheeled the patients away into the emergency room.

"I might want to call in to see how the situation at the scene is." Lightning thought as she reached for her phone to call her chief.

"Farron?" The chief asked as he answered the phone.

"Yes, hows the situation at the scene?" Lightning asked

"Its not that good. We just found out that the other driver was driving under the influence of alcohol. We are currently administering a sobriety test to him." the chief replied

"This just makes me even more sick! Hows the cleanup process?" Lightning asked

"almost done. We should be expected to re-open the road in the next hour, I will arrange transportation to get you back to your car. Over and out" the chief said and then hung the phone up.

"I should notify them about what happened." Lightning thought.

Meanwhile, in the emergency room, things were not looking as good as they planned. As the doctors began to examine Nora via X-ray, they noticed a conglomerate of injuries.

Nora, unknowing to where she is, finally regained consciousness and was unable to move her limbs,

"I think she is waking up!" one of the doctors said

"Madam, whats your name?" another doctor asked

"N-N-Norraa... Estheim...." She said Weakly "W. Where... Where's my.... Son, Hope?"

"He is in another wing of the emergency room." one of the doctors said, "he should be okay."

"good." she said as she tried to relax as the doctors continued with the examination.

Back in the main waiting room, Lightning tried to rub her sleepy eyes, "It has been one frenzied day from the start." she thought to herself, "all I wanted to do was get groceries and enjoy my day off, but no. Some crazed asshole of a drunk driver has to cause a crash and possibly ruin the lives of two innocent people." as she reached her phone and dialed her sister's number

"Sister?" Serah asked

"Yes Serah, Its me." Lightning replied, "Try to make dinner for yourself. I am going to be coming home late. Trying to take care of two crash victims right now, and whats worse is that it is a mother and a son."

"Okay, I might be going to sleep soon, g'night." Serah replied as she hung up the phone.

Some time later, a nurse came out to approach Lightning "Hope would like to see you" she said

"Alright, lead me to him." Lightning replied

After walking what seemed to be hundreds of yards and down so many corridors, Lightning finally sees a glimpse of the young boy that she saved from the wreckage.

"um... Hi there" Hope said

"Well, I need to ask you a few questions regarding what happened to help with the investigation." Lightning said

"Go on." Hope replied, "I wonder how my mom is still..."

"shes..." Lightning said as she heard an announcement over the PA system

"We need extra support down to the ICU area"

"I hope she's okay...." Hope started to begin to worry

"Hope... Listen to me..." a nurse said as she walked in, "Your mom is not doing too good, there may be a chance that she might not make it."

"w,what????" Hope said, dumbfoundedly as he started to cry

"Don't worry, I'll be here if you need something, the name is Vanille." She said as Lightning walked down the hall to the ICU.

"Whats going on?" Lightning asked one of the doctors in the room

"She just lost consciousness. I think there may be some more damage then we thought." the doctor replied, "However, I got a message from her."

"Go ahead." Lightning said

"She said, In the case that I do not make it alive, please make sure that you get my son home." The doctor said, "Here's an audio recording of the message" as he handed Lightning a small device that she thought was an MP3 player.

"okay." Lightning said as she returned to Hope's room and on the way there, she received a call from the chief

"Farron, we got some good news you'd like to hear." he said

"Okay, but first, we got a bit of a situation." Lightning replied, "The woman that I saved is not looking good at all. She's slipping in and out of consciousness, the doctors say that she may not make it"

"That's a little unfortunate. Now, we nailed the other driver! After the sobriety test, we found out that his alcohol content was .17, Way over the limit! So, he is getting a hard taste of justice via purging, PSICOM has him in custody right now and should be purged at the next purge." the chief said

"Good, just what the son-of-a-bitch needs." Lightning remarked

"Don't lose your cool, Farron. You got a job to do still. Your escort out of there will arrive in thirty! Over and out!" the chief replied as he hung up. Afterward, Vanille approached Lightning.

"Farron. Can I have a word with you. Outside" Nurse Vanille said

"Please, call me Lightning. Yes, go ahead. I thought you were watching over Hope?" She asked

"Don't worry, I got someone else to do that. Its about his mother, Nora. Come on." Vanille replied as the two walked out to the parking lot.

"Okay, so go on about what's going on..." Lightning said

"Lightning.... Nora, she's dead. We tried to revive her, but it didn't work. I am sorry Lightning." Vanille announced the grim news "The only thing we have left to do is break the news to the boy."

"How is he going to be able to handle it?" Lightning asked "This could emotionally scar him! Poor thing."

"Don't worry about a thing. We will do this together." Vanille said as the two began to walk over to Hope's room.

"Hope..." Lightning said, "We have some very grim news to tell you about..."

"You may want to make sure that you are sitting up good so you can hear this..." Vanille said, "Your mother is dead."

"N-No! This Cant Be! NOOOOOOOO!" Hope screamed out as he cried, his face turned bright red with sadness and fear due to the loss of his mother. He could not believe the words that he was hearing, "YOU CANT BE SERIOUS!" He screamed

"No, were not." Lightning and Vanille said together

"Would you like to see her body?" Vanille asked, but instead got a constant stream of screaming and crying from Hope.

"I think I should go outside for a bit." Lightning said, "I am starting to get a headache!"

"Okay, I'll let you know when he's calmed down." Vanille replied as Lightning quietly left the room and walked back outside.

A few minutes later, Hope finally started to calm down and Lightning was feeling a bit better, as she did not have a headache. Vanille escorted Lightning back to Hope's room and Lightning said, "Hope, Your mother had some final words to say before she passed on."

"W-What?" Hope asked while he was still crying

"She said that in the case that she died, I was to take you back home." Lightning said

"D-did she?" Hope asked, while trying to pull himself together

"Here, I'll payback the recording that she managed to have" Lightning said as she pulled out of her pocket a small device a bit reminiscent of an MP3 Player.

Hope pushed the button on it that had a triangle symbol over it

"Hope, I-if your are listening to this, chances are that my time is almost up. You have been a good son to me. I asked Lightning if it was possible that she could take you back home, or at least have the courtesy to notify your father.... The number is," but before the number could play there was a lot of garbling noises that were herd as well as a high pitched whine.

"No, NO! This can't be!" Hope cried out

"Stupid old piece of junk! I think I need a new recorder!" Lightning said, Hope, your under my jurisdiction until I can get you home! Vanille, is he okay to leave?"

"He should be. When the doctors examined him, they couldn't find any injuries on him." Vanille replied

"Come on Hope, you coming with me." Lightning said

Hope started to calm down enough and stopped crying "Okay, Lightning."

"Just call me Light." Lightning said

"Alright. Lets go!" Hope replied as Lighting could hear a helicopter in the distance

"Just on cue." she said as she finished some final paperwork with Vanille to ensure that Hope was okay to leave. The two boarded the elevator and hopped aboard the helicopter that would return them to where they first met.

A/N: This chapter was one of the hardest things that I have written to date! Its just the packing of emotions and everything in order for the reader to understand everything! Well, stay tuned for the next chapter!


	4. Endless Night

A/N: Just a little announcement, I wont be able to write chapter 5 so quickly due to R/L issues going on, but I will try my hardest to ensure that I will get it done! Also, take note as I touched up this chapter because of a continuity error with Hope's age as explained in chapter 6!

Chapter 4: Endless Night

Once Lightning and Hope got off the helicopter back to the crash site, Hope was approached by one of the crash cleanup men

"We have something for you." He said to Hope as he escorted him to two luggage bags placed next to Lightning's car.

"My luggage.... and my mom's." Hope said as he picked up his bag and put it into the back seat.

After he put the bags into the car, Lighting approached hope and said, "You may need these." and handed Hope a bunch of things.

Hope looked through it. He noticed his identification card, his mother's identification card, and several Gil chits. Hope carefully examined one the chit and said "5,000"

Lightning said to Hope, "Lets go!" and hope put the items into his pocket and got into Lightning's car.

When they arrived back to Lightning's house, Lightning said to Hope, "Just grab your bag. Don't worry about your mother's until morning."

"Good idea." Hope said as he grabbed his back and Lightning opened the door for him. Hope took a glance at the clock In the living room which read 11:00

"Its that late?" Hope asked

"I didn't think it was so late, either." Lightning replied, "Anyways, we need to keep it down since Serah might be asleep."

"Whos is Serah?" Hope asked

"My sister. Anyways, get out what you need for the night and wait in here for me. I'll give you a pillow and a blanket." Lightning said

Hope was busy changing out of his regular clothes that were tore up slightly into an old shirt and a pair of shorts. Lightning returned with a pillow and a blanket "If you need to use the restroom, it is down the hall, 2nd door on the right. Don't go down the door to the left, because that's Serah's room. At the end of the hall is my room, if you need anything, come down there and ask me if I am not asleep, do you need anything right now?" she asked

"No, thank you. By the way, thanks Light." Hope replied

Lightning smiled at Hope and then gave him a hug and she went down the hallway to her room. Hope decided to just fall asleep on the floor where he was, covering himself up with the blanket, and lying his head down onto the pillow...

Within minutes of Lightning leaving the front room, Hope was having a hard time falling asleep. His mind was racing with the images of the accident through his head from the time of impact when he passed out to the time when he awoke to see Lightning,

"Must be my imagination.... I need to go to sleep." Hope said to himself as he tried haplessly to fall asleep, but to no avail. "Lightning..." He thought to himself as he got up and walked down the hallway.

Lightning was sitting on her bed, reading a book. Surprised, she asked "Oh, Hope, what are you doing in here?" as she sat up.

"It's about today." Hope said, "I just can't believe what happened to me!" as he tried his hardest to hold back his anger, sadness and frustration.

"Calm down for a second..." Lightning said, "Don't let your emotions pool on you."

"what now.... what will I do? Where will I go?" Hope asked himself as Serah entered the room.

"Whats with all the racket?" she asked, "And, who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Serah, go back to bed." Lightning said, "And Hope, calm down!"

"Hope? Try to be brave, okay?" She said cheerfully as she returned to her room.

Hope's face was red with anger and fear, almost like he was trying to hold something back. "I can't believe this is real!" he said.

"Hope... The justice system did it's job and arrested the other driver. It's up to PSICOM now to deal with him." Lightning said.

"I know... I know... There's nothing to bring my mom back." Hope said as he finally calmed down his anger.

"Good to hear that. Besides, I have been without either of my parents for almost seven years. It was nerve-wracking on me being so young to look after Serah. I thought we were going to be put in an orphanage or a foster home after the plague hit and our parents died." Lightning reassuringly said.

"Really?" Hope asked.

"Yes, it is all true. If you want to, you can sleep in here with me tonight. Remember to not let your emotions overtake you. Anger turns to rage, and rage turns into vengeance."

"Yes Light." Hope said as he got up onto the bed as Lightning shut the light switch off and got into the bed, and to reassure Hope, she grabbed Hope by his waist, then the two drifted off to sleep with the comfort that no bed or blanket could offer, but the comfort of each other.


	5. New Beginning

A/N: Okay, I got what I needed done and now back to normal scheduling. First few paragraph is an interlude, the actual Chapter Begins afterward.

Interlude: Eden News Flash

In Eden, Bartholomew was at his desk, awaiting his next orders. While flipping through the channels, he came across the Pulsian News Channel.

"Tragedy in Bodhum strikes today as there was a head-on collision. A Nora Estheim of Palumpolum died at the hospital from her injuries. Her son, Hope was taken in by Lightning Farron of Guardian Corps. Fame. More details as the come in..." The newscaster said

"Wh-What? This can't be! Nora, why! Why did you have to go?" Bartholomew cried out as a sanctum officer entered his room

"We have a phone call for you. Its about your wife, she's dead." he said

"Okay, put it through." Bartholomew replied....

Chapter 5: New Beginnings

Hope was still fast asleep from the feeling of security that Lightning was there.

"Hope...." a voice said to him, "Wake up...."

Hope carefully opened his eyes to see that Lightning was awake and changed from her nightclothes into a simple shirt and a pair of shorts, standing in the doorway. "You can't be sleeping for too long, if you do, you won't be able to sleep at night." she said

Hope finally sat up and got off the bed. "Is the shower room open?" he asked

"Yes." Lightning replied, "After you take a shower, meet me in the kitchen for breakfast."

Hope walked down the hall to his bag and grabbed a change of clothes. Serah looked at Hope and asked, "How are you felling?"

"Better. At least falling asleep helped." Hope replied.

"Serah, get breakfast ready. Hope, get cleaned up and you can get acquainted afterward." Lightning said as hope walked down the hallway.

After Hope took a shower and changed into his nicer clothes, he walked back to the kitchen where he found a scrumptious breakfast awaiting him.

"Light, did you make this yourself?" Hope asked

"Kind of. Serah's the real cook in this house. I just help her with the eggs since she has trouble cracking them." Lightning answered as hope let out a little chuckle.

"So Hope, where are you from?" Serah asked

"Palumpolum" Hope replied as he was swallowing down a piece of bacon.

"Never heard of that place." Serah replied, "Do you go to school?"

"Yeah, but I am not too great." Hope jokingly replied

"Cool. I am on break due to the fireworks festival! My sister, Cl-" Serah said

"Serah, watch your tounge." Lightning sharply replied "Don't call me by that name."

"Oh, sorry. Lightning is security for that event since she is a member of Guardian Corp.!" Serah Exclaimed

"Hope, what do you want to do today?" Lightning asked, "Once I finish up paperwork from this incident, we can do something. My commanding officer has given me the next two days off to make up from being called in yesterday."

"I don't know yet... I would like to see the town a bit." Hope said

"We can do that." Lightning said

After the three finished breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Lightning answered it and noticed it was an extremely tall man. His stature dwarfed that of hope and his trenchcoat that he wore could be used as a tent.

"Serah!" He said as Serah ran up to him and hugged him.

"Snow! How have you been? It's been a while." Serah asked

"Who's he?" Hope asked

"Serah's 'boyfriend'. I don't like him. He looks like a drifter, and his attitude is cocky." Lightning slowly replied to Hope, trying her hardest so Snow didn't hear her.

"Come on Lightning, what's wrong?" Snow asked

"Its... this guy right here. I saved him from a car crash and his mother died so, I am taking care of him." Lightning answered

"I see." Snow said, "I got to get back to work, or else my boss will chew me out." Snow kissed his girlfriend and left.

"I don't like him." Lightning said to herself as she looked to Hope and Serah. "Let's go. We are going for a little ride on the town. Hope, Serah will try to point out some thing to you as we go, okay?"

"Yes." Hope replied

"You can count on me!" Serah exclaimed.

"Hope, Remove your mother's bag from the car first." Lightning said

Hope took the larger and heavier suitcase and dragged it inside of the house.

"Don't forget to lock the door." Lightning said.

Hope locked the door, and got into the back seat of the car, looking forward to seeing the sights of Bodhum...

A/N: There are going to be a couple more interludes in the upcoming chapters, Stay tuned for more and please comment!


	6. Rememberance

A/N: For those of you who were wondering about the character ages and stuff, then read on, otherwise, skip to the interlude. Hope is older then he actually is throughout the story, presumably 17. Everyone else is maybe a year older or so. With that said, On with the story.

Interlude: Coming Home

Bartholomew could not believe what he was hearing over the phone and for what he saw on the TV. His own wife, dead.

"I need to go home right away and get things in order." Bartholomew said

"No Problem. We have arranged a ride for you to get back to Palumpolum." The Sanctum officer said

"Good." Bartholomew replied as he left his office and went down the elevator to the ground floor.

"I Hope you can get things in order, and see you back as soon as you can." Another Sanctum officer said to him as Bartholomew got into a limo.

"Hope...." He thought to himself, "I wonder how he is..." as the limo drove off, out of Eden's limits...

Chapter 6: Remembrance

After the car turned down the road slightly, Hope was beginning to feel homesick. He really didn't feel like he wanted to stay in Bodhum, but he did not know how to get home. He tried his hardest to enjoy the ride and make the best out of things.

"Hope, Look!" Serah said as hope looked up to the horizon

"What's that?" Hope asked

"Its the nice shores of Bodhum. It's famous for its sea-side atmosphere!" Serah said

"Nice." Hope quietly replied, still pondering to himself about the thought of returning home, back to the home he only knew, Palompolum.

"Are any of you hungry?" Lightning asked as they pull into a burger shack.

"Kind of." Hope said

"I am!" Serah exclaimed

"okay, enough said." Lightning replied as she pulled into the parking lot.

Lightning, Hope, and Serah got out of the car and approached the main window. Hope pulled the gil chits from his pocket, trying his hardest to count them.

"Hope... Don't worry about it. I'll pay for your meal." Lightning said

"Okay Light." Hope replied as they each ordered their food and paid for it upfront.

As they sat down on a bench, in the nice warm weather, Hope was still feeling bummed out. He remembered how his mom took him to a restaurant when they entered Bodhum's limits, and the events that followed.

"Hope, is something wrong?" Lightning asked

Hope did not reply. He was slowly eating his burger and sipping down his soda, still in deep thought. After he finally got a second, he said "Oh, sorry Light. I was remembering when my mom took me to eat just minutes before the crash, probably the last time I talked to her..." and Hope began to break down into sobs.

"Hope... There's nothing to worry about." Lightning said, "I'm here and Serah's here for you. Just take it slowly, one step at a time. You will feel better soon, I promise. Would you like some ice cream?"

"Yes Light." Hope answered

"I would like some too!" Serah said

Lightning left to order two sundaes as Hope and Serah talked to each other

"I wonder how hard it has to be to lose both of your parents?" Hope asked

"Really. I did not know until sis told me." Serah replied

"I see." Hope said

"It was a cold, winter day when it happened." Serah tried to explain, "Our neighborhood was under quarantine, everyone that I knew had the plague. I was ordered to move to another area since I was at risk of catching it. Sis refused to leave and was concerned for our mom and dad, until their condition got too severe for her to handle herself. When I was reunited with her in the shelter, she was not looking good at all. I could not believe that my own sister was going to cry."

"It must be harsh, how long was it until you heard the news?" Hope asked

"About three days. When they announced that a vaccine was finally made, it was too late for them. When sis heard about it, she broke down and cried really hard. I cried with her too until sis found some reassurance and took the liberty of seeing our dead parents beforehand." Serah said

Lightning finally returned with the sundaes and asked, "So, did Serah tell you about our past?"

"Kind of. It was mainly about the loss of your parents." Hope replied, and afterward, Lightning thought about the night when her parents died.

"Claire.... Here me out..." Lightning's mother said

"huh?" She replied

"Take.... Care... Of Serah." and then, she passed out. Doctors ordered Claire to leave in case she was to be infected with the plague

Before Lightning could dive deeper into her thoughs, Serah said "Sis, don't doze off to the past! Let's go home!" She said

"R-right." Lightning replied, "are you ready yet, Hope?"

"Yeah." Hope said as he threw out his sundae cup and opened the door to the car. After everyone was buckled in, Lightning started the engine, turned out of the driveway, and back onto the main road.

Once the car got back to the house, Serah was poking Hope to wake him up. Hope finally woke up, got out of the car, and awaited Lightning to unlock the door.

Once inside, Hope thought to himself, "I should call home." and asked Lightning, "Can I use your phone?"

"Go right ahead." Lightning replied as she handed Hope a cell phone. Hope started to dial the number to his own house.

In Palumpolum, Bartholomew just got home. He was in a shock when he heard his house phone ringing.

"Hello?" He asked

"Dad, it's Hope." Hope replied on the other end of the line

"HOPE! It's good to hear that your okay! I'll be in Bodhum tomorrow to pick you up!" Bartholomew said in ecstasy

"Dad... Thank you." Hope replied, "Here's the address of Light's house..."

"Hope.... Can you Put her on the line?" Bartholomew Asked

"Okay." Hope awnsered, "Light, my dad wants to talk to you." and then, Lightning took the phone from Hope.

"Yes?" Lightning said

"Ms. Farron, I can not thank you enough for watching over my son. I will be over there tomorrow at about noon to pick him up." Bartholomew said

"Yes, Mr. Estheim. My address is 3255 Seeker Drive." Lightning said

"Thank you. I will be expecting you tomorrow at noon." Bartholomew said as he hung up the phone.

"Well Hope, it looks like you are going home soon." Lightning said to Hope.

"Good." Hope replied, "I'll talk to you later."

A few hours later, Serah asked Hope, "Do you want to go with me?"

Hope asked, "What for?"

"I need to get sis a present for her birthday! It's tomorrow!" Serah exclaimed

"I see, but why don't you go with that Snow guy?" Hope asked

"He is too busy..." Serah replied, "But, your aren't. So what do you say, do you want to?"

"Why not, it's better then being bored." Hope replied.

"Hey sis, me and Hope are going out for a bit!" Serah said

"Okay, just be back before dark!" Lightning replied as the two went out the door...


	7. Walk Through Town

A/N: I did a little bit of a touch up to chapter 4: Endless Night and Chapter 5: New Beginning. It seems to me that Hope was acting a little too immature for his age with the wailing when I wrote it. For Chapter 5, there was a small continuity error from updating Chapter 4. Anyhow, Expect an ending for this by the end of May. This week's plan is to have this chapter and 8 up.

Chapter 7: Walk Through Town

"So Hope?" Serah asked, "What do you think we should get me sister for her birthday?"

"I... Don't know. What does she like?" Hope asked.

"Hmm... Claire is a unique person." Serah replied

"Claire?" Hope asked

"That's her actual name. Whatever you do, do not call her by that name. She gets annoyed by it and it makes her feel like a kid." Serah answered.

"I see. Let's try this place out first." Hope said as he walked inside of a jewelery store.

Once inside, Hope noticed a pendant and chain that caught his eye. The pendant was in the shape of a lightning bolt, and shimmered in the light with the chain it was attached to,

"How much?" Hope asked the store clerk

"That will be 10,000 gil." He replied.

Hope checked his pockets and pulled out various sized gil chits. He counted them and said to himself, "Damn. All I have on me for pocket change is 3,500."

"Hope... What's wrong?" Serah asked

"I really wanted to buy Lightning this chain and pendant, but I am short on cash. I only have 3500 gil on me."

"Don't worry about the rest, I'll cover for you." Serah replied as she handed the clerk a 10,000 gil chit. "give me your 3,500."

"Okay." Hope replied as he handed Serah the money.

The clerk boxed the pendant up, bagged it, and gave it to Serah. "Have a nice day." The clerk said to the two as they walked out of the store.

"Ohhh. This store looks nice!" Serah said as she eyed a sporting goods store.

Once they got inside, Serah was looking at a vicious hunting knife. "Hope, my sister really wanted this!" Serah said, "She was dying to have one of these since she entered Guardian Corps.!"

"Good. I can see that she has good tastes for gifts." Hope replied as Serah was purchasing the knife.

"Um, miss?" the clerk asked, "I need to see some identification."

"Here!" Serah said as she pulled out her identification card.

"Okay, thank you." The clerk said as he handed Serah the bag.

"Now to go home!" Serah said as the two walked down the sidewalk and then, Serah noticed the streetlights were turning on. "We have to hurry! It's getting late!" she exclaimed

"Right." Hope replied as the two ran down the sidewalk back to the house.

Once Serah and Hope entered and sat down their bags, they noticed a nice aroma.

"Just in time for dinner." Lightning said as she hung an apron back onto a rack.

"Yay!" Serah said as she sat down, awaiting the food.

"Good." Hope said as he sat down, too.

After dinner, Hope was feeling really confident. He knew he was in good company, he was not being skimped out on meals, and the hospitality was great! "Hope, bed time." Lightning said as hope was starting to lay down on the floor as she handed him a pillow and a blanket.

"Good night Light." Hope said as he drifted off and fell asleep, awaiting for the next day.


	8. Birthday

A/N: I almost had a system crash, which would have prevented me from finishing the final chapters up and not finishing this story by the end of this month. There is going to be at least three chapters left in this story, so stay tuned to find out what happens in the end.

Chapter 8: Birthday

Hope slowly woke up from his peaceful sleep on the floor. He glanced up and took a look at the clock on the wall.

"5:00?" he thought to himself, "Heh. I am early, I think I will go back to sleep..." but before he could finish his thoughts, Lightning came out into the front room wearing her nightgown and sat on the couch.

"Oh, Hope." She said, "Why are you up?"

"I donno." Hope said as he got up, "Must mean that I slept well last night."

"I can see that." Lightning replied, "Sit down here. I got something to share with you."

"Really?" Hope asked

"Yes." Lightning answered as Hope sat down on the couch.

"Remember when Serah told you about what happened to us?" Lightning asked

"Yes." Hope awnsered, "The plague..."

"That's right." Lightning replied, "To be honest... I didn't know what to do. I wanted to cry and scream inside, but I didn't want to because I would embarrass myself and probably end up somewhere else then here. I was young, scared, and alone... Only Serah was there to help me."

"That must have been tough." Hope replied.

"It was." Lightning said, "I thought that I was going to have to drop out of school to ensure Serah's sake, but I persevered. I wasn't going to give up, and besides, her school wasn't far from mine. Probably two blocks."

"I see." Hope replied

"I was in the top ten percent of my class. How could I let my future go away? I didn't." Lightning said, "That is how I got my job as a member of Guardian Corps. But, there was no wars to fight. So, Sanctum insisted to make us a police and rescue force rather then a military power."

"Nice." Hope replied.

"It's embarrassing." Lightning said,"I thought I was going to serve Coccon, but not like this."

"But your good at doing what you are doing!" Hope said

"Hope... We will talk later. I think it's time to take a shower." Lightning Said, "Hope, you can go first. I'll wake up Serah and let her know its time to make breakfast."

"Good idea." Hope said as he grabbed a change of clothes and walked down the hallway.

After everyone has taken a shower, Hope was eager to help out with breakfast.

"I see you are feeling better." Serah said, "Wanna help out with preparing breakfast?"

"Yes!" Hope exclaimed as Serah handed Hope a mess of foodstuffs and other supplies, "What am I supposed to do?"

"You have never cooked before in your life?" Lightning asked

"Other then using a microwave oven, no." Hope awnsered

"Let me give you a hand." Lightning said as she grabbed the carton of eggs, "You slightly tap the egg against the bowl and then carefully break apart the shell, but try not to get any of the shell into it." as she demonstrated for Hope.

"Okay" Hope said as he carefully grabbed an egg and tried to tap it and once he heard the egg crack, and separated the main part of the egg from the shell. Hope threw the empty shell into the trash can next to him.

"Good job, Hope." Lightning replied

After cracking a few more eggs, Hope felt accomplished. "Light. Thank you" Hope said

"Don't mention it Hope." Lightning replied as her and Serah was finishing up preparations for breakfast.

After all of them go done with preparing breakfast, they were ready to eat. Just before Hope could start eating, there was a knock on the door. Serah answered it to see that it was Snow.

"Snow!" Serah Replied, "I am sorry if you couldn't come with me to get something for my sister's birthday."

"Hey, I am not as cruel as you think." Snow Replied as he walked up to Lightning, "Hey Sis!"

"I am NOT your sister!" Lightning angrily said, "The one thing that bothers me more then my real name is when someone I do not know calls me their sister!"

"What?" Hope said as he looked on in dismay.

"I am just trying to be nice, don't get all angry at me!" Snow said, "Here's a present for your birthday!" as he handed Lightning a small box.

"Serah, I will see you later!" Snow said as he left.

"Wait!" Serah tried to say, but she couldn't get a response.

After Breakfast, Serah asked Hope, "Do you think now would be the time to give my sister her presents?"

"Yeah. Why don't you call that Snow guy up to bring a cake." Hope Said.

"Okay, I will!" Serah exclaimed as she reached for her phone and called her boyfriend.

"Snow..." Serah Said.

"Yes Serah, what do you want?" Snow replied.

"Can you come back over here with a cake for my sister?" Serah asked.

"What kind?" Snow replied

"Chocolate." Serah answered.

"Okay, I will be right there as soon as I can." Snow said

"Hope..." Serah said, "We got a cake!"

"Good. It seems that all birthdays are not complete without cake" Hope replied.

About an hour later, Snow arrived to the house.

"Here you go Serah!" Snow said as he handed the cake to Serah.

After Serah sat the cake down, she asked, "are you gonna stay?"

"Unfortunately no." Snow said as he gave his girlfriend a kiss "I will talk to you tonight. It is important."

"Okay!" Serah said as Snow left.

Lightning entered the kitchen, wondering what was going on. "What is this?" She asked curiously, but before she could open it, Serah and Hope casually entered the room.

"Sis, come on! Don't you want to relax?" Serah said as she escorted Lightning to a chair. Hope stood there silently and slipped out to grab their gifts that they bought for her.

"What is this all about?" Lightning asked

"Claire... Calm down." Serah said, she knew that here sister was tense, when Hope abruptly came back into the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday Light!" He said.

"What?" Lightning said, acting surprised, "Serah, what where you planning?"

"Me and Hope surprised you and look at what we got for you!" Serah said as she handed Lightning her gifts.

"Huh?" She asked herself as he opened the smaller box that Snow gave her first. When she finally opened it, it was a small ring. Lightning happily put it on her finger. She then went for the second smallest box, which was the gift Hope bought for her. She was delighted when she saw the pendant and chain.

"Hope?" She asked, Did you buy this?"

"Yeas Light." Hope replied, "Do you like it?"

"Yes, Hope I really do like it." Lightning replied as she was securing the clasp of the chain. After putting the chain on, she stood up and gave Hope a hug "Thank you." she said to him.

"Don't mention it Light." Hope replied.

"One more." Serah said, "And I picked this one out myself!" Serah replied.

Lightning picked up the slightly large box and began to open it. She was amazed when she saw it was a knife, and a really durable one too.

"Serah... How did you know I always wanted a knife like this?" Lightning asked

"Ever since you joined Guardian Corps., you were complaining about not having a knife." Serah replied as Lightning let out a laugh,

"The best part is on the table." Hope said as he opened up the box which contained the cake.

"Did... Snow get this?" Lightning asked

"Yes!" Serah Replied, "I asked him to do so!"

"Let's eat." Lightning replied as she was cutting the cake, but before she could finish, there was a knock on the door....

A/N: a little cliffhanger ending for you to ponder on. Enjoy the chapter and rate and review!


	9. Reunion

A/n: Sorry about the hiatus on the update. I have been prepping for final exams, which will have a bearing on whether or not I will be graduating from HS. Also, there is one more chapter left after this!

Chapter 9: Reunion

Lightning answered the door. She noticed that it was a man in a business suit, and looked quite wealthy and powerful.

"Hello, Ms. Farron." He said, while Hope ran up to him.

"Dad!" Hope exclaimed out loud.

"Hope, sit down for a second. You and your father can talk afterwords." Lightning said, "Mr. Estheim, welcome to my home."

"Thank you very much." Bartholomew replied "I see you are having quite a party going on."

"Its my birthday." Lightning replied, "Sit down, if you like.' Lightning said, and Bartholomew sat down in the only empty chair left in the kitchen.

"Ms. Farron, I cant thank you enough for helping my son out!" Bartholomew said, "If it wasn't for you... Who knows where my son would be, I honestly would not know!"

"Dad... Thank you" Hope said to his father.

"Hope, do you still wanna go to the fireworks festival?" Bartholomew asked

"Yes dad, yes I would. I would go." Hope answered.

"Mr. Estheim?" Lightning asked, "If you want to, you could stay here tonight. Hope has been here for the last two days and has pretty much went through the ropes and look at him now."Lightning replied, as Hope blushed slightly.

"Good idea. Hope, are you comfortable staying here tonight?" Bartholomew asked.

"Yes dad, I honestly think that Light has been watching over me and did well." Hope said.

"it's settled." Bartholomew said as Hope smiled and glanced out the window, looking forward to what the future would bring...

A/N: Sorry for the delay on the chapter. I have had some issues to deal with. Next Week Will be the last chapter written, so stay tuned!


	10. Return and Epilogue

A/N: So, this is it the last chapter for the story. I also want to point out that I will be taking a break from writing new fanfictions until August, keep checking my profile for updates on my next project!

Chapter 10: Return

"Hope... Wake up." Bartholomew said as he was slightly nudging his son.

"Dad?" He asked as he carefully opened his eyes, focusing around to his surroundings.

"It's time to get going to the festival." Bartholomew replied, "Come on, Ms. Farron has breakfast prepared."

The two entered the kitchen. "Good morning Bartholomew and good morning Hope." Lightning said, "Help yourselves. I don't have much prepared today since Serah wasn't here to help me."

"Thank you Light." Hope said as he began to fill his plate.

"Yes, thank you." Bartholomew said.

After they had breakfast and got cleaned up, they were ready to say their good-byes.

"Light... Thank you for everything. You have taught me so much about my life, and also how to control my emotions." Hope said as he gave Lightning a hug.

"Hope... Thank you for being a guest at my house, even though it was a mandatory stay." Lightning replied, "I think, you are ready. Ready to become a man."

"Ms. Farron." Bartholomew interrupted, "I thank you for looking after my son, Hope and for offering your residence for myself for a night. I offer you a gift of 12,000 gil."

"Oh..." Lightning replied "Thank you Mr. Estheim."

"Bye Light." Hope said.

"Goodbye Ms. Farron." Bartholomew said afterwords as he and Hope got into his car.

That night, at the festival, Bartholomew and Hope seemed to be enjoying the spectacular views of the fireworks.

"Hope, aren't you going to wish?" Bartholomew asked

"No, that's kid's stuff." Hope said

"Well, after what you have been through, you should have one wish in you." Bartholomew said

"I suppose." Hope said, disdainfully. "I wish that mom was here to see this, even though I know she is dead."

"Your right about that Hope, I agree with your wish entirely." Bartholomew said as an apparition approached the two.

"Bartholomew... Hope" It said as it approached the two.

"Mom?" Hope asked in disbelief.

"Nora?" Bartholomew asked.

"Hope, you have grown up. Bartholomew, take care of Hope in my absence. I may not be here physically, but I am with you both in spirit." The apparition said as it floated off.

"Hope, Let's go home." Bartholomew said, "We got our wish, and should be grateful to see your mother one last time."

"Yeah. To see her spirit before she ascends to the afterlife. Besides, I wonder where Light is?"

"She's probably busy making sure that there is no trouble. She said she had to be part of the security for this event. I had the liberty of getting her address so you can write to her when you get home." Bartholomew said as the two got into the car, on their way home.

When they finally arrived to Palumpolum. Hope was finally relieved to be home, where he belonged. When they finally got back to their house, and after Bartholomew unlocked the door, Hope walked into his room and pulled out a sheet of paper and began to start writing...

Epilogue: The Letter

Some time later in Bodhum, Serah was out checking the mail for her sister. When she finally arrived back inside. Lightning glanced through it.

"Junk mail, electric bill..." She said to herself in dismay until she noticed a letter that looked different. Curious to see what it is, Lightning opened it.

"Dear Light,

Thank you for everything you have taught me. I can not begin to think how many times I am relieved to know that my anger doesn't get the better of me. Also, I am getting better with my cooking, as I made my father dinner the day after I sent this letter. We should meet each other again sometime.

Love,

Hope Esthiem"

"Hope..." she thought to herself, "I won't forget..."

-THE END-

A/N: Another Nice Fanfiction done! Please, Rate and Review on this and my other works and stay tuned on my profile page for updates, I hope you enjoyed the story!


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